Today's Reading: John 4:1-26
“Everyone who drinks of this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.” John 4:13-14
Last week, we looked at our cravings and desires that often originate from a legitimate need, but morph into a false god that controls everything we think, feel, and do. Those longings led Israel (as ours do) far from Jesus’ side. Desire leads to distance unless that desire is brought to Jesus so that He can transform it into one that will point us toward Him. As we learn to long for the things of God and God himself, we find that our longing for Him points those around us toward Him as well.
This woman had looked to men to get her needs met only to find she had been given away to meet theirs. Verse 6 says Jesus was “worn out from His journey” getting to that well, and this parched woman was deeply worn out from the life that led her there as well.
“Jesus was worn out”. His willingness to put on flesh and walk this earth means that He understood her exhausting journey, He understands our longings, cravings, burdens, battles. He knows our thirst. Because of that, we don’t need to be ashamed to bring Him the things that trouble us. He won’t condemn us for having the longings we have, rather He will gently transform them in order for us to be free and to have our hearts deeply filled by Him.
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Do you feel shame in bringing your desires/cravings/longings, your thirst, to Jesus? Our enemy desperately hopes we will so that we will avoid introducing Jesus to our need and will continue seeking out false wells that enslave us to it. Confessing our need or desire to God opens the door to a conversation about them. Take a few minutes right now to confess your desire to Him and invite Him into conversation with you about it.
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In Verse 22, Jesus revealed that the woman had been worshipping a God she “did not know”. He introduced Himself to her so that she could begin to worship Him in truth. Do you ever find that an unmet thirst has twisted your view of who God is? His character and promises get tangled up in the things we crave and we don’t see Him clearly. But He only wants true worship from us. Take a few minutes to ask Him how fixing your eyes on the desires of the flesh has distorted your view of Him (and His character and promises to you).
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Ask God what it would look like practically for you to drink the water He gives you today.
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Through Jesus, the thirsty become a well themselves. The woman who strived to get her needs met in many men suddenly found eternal fulfillment in a single encounter with one man, Christ. She then brought Him to everyone she knew. When our longings are brought to Jesus and transformed into a right longing for Him, we are filled to overflow. We can’t help but point those around us to the one who has so satisfied us. She ran right over her reputation to bring her amazement to where she was from. And they listened to her. Because people who go from endlessly thirsty to becoming a well are rare, and hard to miss. They avoided her when she was thirsty, but were drawn to her when she was filled. How can drinking your fill of Jesus refresh those around you too?
“Yes, the Father wants such people to worship Him” v 23. He wants worship from thirsty people who have been transformed into springs. He wants your worship today, have you ever thought that your worship could refresh and minister to the heart of Christ? What a wonder that He counts that valuable to Him. Offer it as you work today.